Full Court Press

1. Khalil “Lilo” Grey

College—Senior Year

Ten Years Ago

“There goes my baabyy, ooo, girl, look at you. You don’t know how good it feels to call you my baby. Loving everything you do, ooo, girl, look at youuu.”

I stood in the living room of my six-bedroom home, cradling my baby girl, Kiyanne Imani, while her bright eyes looked up at me.

A soft smile graced her little lips, and even at only three months old, I could see the admiration in her eyes.

My heart expanded to its fullest capacity every time I held her in my arms or looked into her pretty face, knowing that this beautiful being in my arms admired me.

I didn’t think I could ever love something as much as I loved ball, but Kiyanne had been at the top of the list in my world. She may not have been planned, but the moment she entered this world, I knew I had to do everything I could to give her all of that and much more.

Nia, her mother, and I were at the stage in our lives where being in a relationship was way too complicated, so we opted to just remain friends and co-parent.

Things were good since my nana, Persia, and Nia’s grandmother, Mena, had been here helping us, but I still struggled with Nia’s mental health around our daughter.

So much had happened to her since the moment I met her, and I knew after giving birth to Kiyanne, it would be more stress on her than she could handle. So the only thing she did for our daughter was pump and send bags of breast milk for Kiyanne.

I asked her to get an abortion.

Not because I was some fuck boy and didn’t want the responsibility, but because we were still young, and neither of us asked to be young parents. We just weren’t ready to take on this type of task, but she was here now. And I, for one, loved the fuck out of my baby.

“I told you about spoiling her, Khalil. Every time you leave here, she fusses. It’s like she knows when you’re not here,” my nana said, coming from the kitchen.

“I can’t help it. I love her,” I said, smiling down at my baby.

Nana smiled at me. “I know you do. You’re doing an amazing job, and I’m proud of you.”

“Thank you, Nana. I have you and Moms to thank for that.”

Nana smiled and held her arms out. “Okay, give her to me, and get on out of here before you’re late.”

I kissed my baby’s cheeks and held her close for a few more seconds, then handed her over. As soon as she left my arms, she whimpered. The little pout on her face had me about to cancel practice.

“Go, Lilo.”

I laughed and kissed her cheek then Kiyanne’s. “Daddy will be right back, baby girl. I promise,” I said, grabbing my gym bag and leaving the house.

It was my last year at True State University, and throughout all the struggles, I had come out on top. I was a point guard for the varsity basketball team and an honor-roll student. Different scouts had come out to try to recruit me to play at their schools, but I refused to leave Texas.

One: I wanted my daughter to be near her mother, and two: I loved playing for TSU. I was already set to participate in the NBA Combine in January to see if I was eligible to play for the big leagues.

I’d always strived to be the best at anything I set my mind to. Basketball had become an escape for me during my childhood. Not having my father, and watching my moms struggle, made me want to try any and do everything to get us out of the hood.

I hated seeing my moms struggle.

She was my best friend, and I would move mountains to make her happy.

She didn’t know it, but growing up, anytime I felt she needed something, I would lie and tell her I was at practice, but I was really around the neighborhood cutting grass all day.

My best friend, Lamar, would come with me, and we’d make a good five to six hundred dollars in a day.

Whatever we split, I’d slip my portion in my moms’ purse, and she’d always be confused as to where the money came from.

I knew she didn’t want me overextending myself, but I couldn’t help it.

I couldn’t keep watching her try to make ends meet to feed my little sister and me.

She was too prideful to ask her moms or pops for money at the time, so I took it upon myself to make sure she had a few dollars in her purse whenever I could.

Now, she was rolling in dough, happy, and married to my idol. I used to watch Drew Stanford, who played for the Detroit Vipers, on big screens, but now I see him on FaceTime almost every other day.

It was crazy how life worked.

I used to pray for better days for my moms. Being the oldest, I saw everything and felt everything. My and Kyani’s biological father was really a ho-ass nigga, and if I ever saw him again, I was fucking him up for all of the times he made my moms cry when I couldn’t do shit about it.

The relationship with my pops was dead. It took a minute, but I finally realized his ass wasn’t shit and wasn’t ever going to be shit.

I got inside my Benz truck and hurried across town to get to school before I was late.

My cell rang, displaying Nia’s name across the screen on my radio. I sighed heavily, trying my best to stay as calm as I could when I answered. With her, I never knew what type of time she was going to be on, so I had to stay ready for whatever person she was going to be that day.

“What up, Nia?”

“Hi, Khalil. I was wondering if I could come pick up Kiyanne around three? My mom and grandmother want to spend some time with her.”

“Your mom and grandma?” I queried, already disapproving.

“Yeah.”

“Mm. And what about her mother?”

“Don’t start, Lilo.”

“Start what? You know, I’m getting really tired of the back and forth, Niana. One minute you’re here, and the next, you’re not. You just had her three months ago and only had her for six weeks before you left her on me and disappeared.”

“I’m really trying, Khalil. You don’t know how bad I want my baby.”

“It doesn’t seem like it!” I yelled but then sighed heavily to release the anger I was feeling inside.

I knew Nia’s mental state wasn’t all the way there, but I tried everything to make her see that she wasn’t alone in this.

But no matter what I tried, nothing ever worked.

“Look, I’ll have my nana bring her to y’all. I don’t trust her in the car with you.”

“Are you serious?”

“Dead ass.”

“Whatever, Khalil! Can you have her bring her around three? That’s when my mom’s flight is coming in.”

I drove, contemplating if I wanted my daughter around her moms. This was the same woman who allowed her husband to beat on her daughter.

The same woman who didn’t believe Nia’s claims and believed the nigga she was married to over her own daughter.

I didn’t know how Nia was able to forgive her, but I hadn’t.

I didn’t want her ass around my daughter.

I didn’t trust her. But Nia needed to spend some time with our daughter.

“Look, if you’re not going to be there, let me know now. I don’t want ya moms around my daughter alone.”

“Of course, I’m going to be there. I know that I’ve been distant, but I swear I’m trying, Khalil.”

“Yeah, okay. If I find out you’re not there, it’s going to be a problem. I’ll call and let my nana know.”

“Thank you.”

I hung up and sighed again. This shit was rough. I loved Nia dearly. She would always hold a special place in my heart, but us being together couldn’t happen. She had too much trauma to sift through and hadn’t taken any necessary steps to get better.

It took the will of God to stop me from going to her moms’ crib and killing her husband for what he did to Nia. The only way I knew how to get her out of that situation was to move her away from it.

I blamed myself a lot for getting her pregnant, but I couldn’t help but give in when she needed me.

A two-night stand produced an angel who I vowed to always love and protect.

Kiyanne may not have been planned, but now that she was here, I couldn’t imagine life without her.

Kiyanne was my world, and before I let anybody hurt her, I’d die behind her every time.

I pulled into the parking lot of the campus fifteen minutes later, grabbed my bag, and got out of my truck. Loud music could be heard behind me as I looked and noticed Lamar zooming into the parking lot.

I shook my head and smiled as I waited for him to get out of the car.

When I found out Lamar was attending TSU, I was happy I had someone here that I knew from back home besides Nia.

Lamar stepped out of the car and approached me.

“What’s good, fam?” he asked.

I gave him a pound. “Shit. What happened to you meeting us last night at the Waffle House?”

“Oh… man! You remember Sabrina, right?”

“Sabrina? Sabrina Murphy?” I asked.

“Yeeeah! I ended up hanging out with her last night.” He stood, cheesing like he had won the damn jackpot.

“You hit?” I asked, laughing as we made our way toward the building.

“You already know.”

“Nigga, stop lying!” I chuckled.

He laughed. “Nah. I’m lying, but I’m close.”

Sabrina Murphy was one of the popular chicks in school with the fattest ass. She was like a replica of Beyoncé, and everybody was trying to shoot their shot at her. The fact that she was on the dance squad was even worse because every time she danced, her ass was all we were focused on.

“This nigga. You know damn well you ain’t close to shit. That girl literally turns down every nigga that try to fuck with her. She likes girls, my guy.”

“How, when I was just with her last night? I ain’t fuck, but she let me suck her titties and play in her pussy.”

I side-eyed him, and we both burst out laughing.

Lamar stayed lying about shit. I knew this because Sabrina had been throwing herself at me since we shared an Econ class together.

I never took the bait, because one, I had too much going on dealing with Nia, and two, I didn’t want a chick every nigga was thirsting after.

Sabrina was fine, but she was for everybody.

Girls included.

“Whatever, nigga. Coach bet not be on bullshit today. My fucking body still hurting from last practice,” I griped.

“I’m sure we’ll be sprinting today. If you come to the gym with me like I asked, you wouldn’t be so sore.”

“Man, having a baby ain’t no joke. I literally don’t have time to do shit.

I be wanting to use the gym in my own damn house, but by the time I get Kiy down to sleep, my ass be right along with her.

Slobbin’, snorin’, and all that shit.” We laughed as we entered the gym through the side door.

The team was already warming up as I remembered to shoot my nana a text to ask her to drop Kiyanne off to Nia.

I knew she wouldn’t want to, but she also knew that I was fighting for Nia to be a mother to our kid.

I prayed for the sake of our daughter that she would come around and get the help that she needed.